Clamping means for windshield deicer panels



Nov. 19, 1946. J. H. WEBSTER CLAMPING MEANS FOR WINDSHIELD DE-ICER PANELS Filed Aug. 21, 1944 W M M V if W INVENToR. J/f/v man /l'asrffr BY Patented Nov. 19, 1946 CLAMPING MEANS FOR WINDSHIELD DEICER PANELS J ohn Harold Webster, Rocky Hill, Conn., assigner to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 21, 1944, Serial No. 550,475

(Cl. 292-241) I 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a de-icer panel for an airplane windshield, and more particularly "to, improved double-acting clamping means for holding said panel tightly against said windshield in order to prevent air leakage from said panel, and also to prevent vibration and rattling.

One object of the present invention is to provide a de-icer panel clamping means of the above nature including a strike and a latch member which will permit the panel to be readily attached to and detached from the windshield.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eflicient and durable `in use.

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying draw ing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. l represents a rear view of the improved clamping means as it appears when in assembled position for holding a de-icer panel upon a Windshield frame.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,` taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the interior construction of the latch member.

Fig. 3` is a transverse sectional view of "the same, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and showing the appearance of the latch and strike member in locked position.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the `same taken through the latch blade along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Y I

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding. parts throughout the several views, the numeral Ii! indicates a rectangular windshield frame having a transparent pane II which is mounted in an upper horizontal rail I2, a lower horizontal rail, and side rails, not shown.

In order to prevent the collection and accumu# lation of sleet, ice, or snow on thefront of the windshield which might obstruct the vision of the airplane pilot, provision is made of a rectangular de'icer panel having an upper horizontal rail I3, which for convenience in assembly, has an open semi-circular recess I4 for embracing a latch stud 2l of the clamping means to be hereinafter described.

'The de-icer panel is provided with a transparent pane I5, which has a rectangular notch IB for receiving a latch casing I'I. It will be understood that the transparent panes I I, I5 may be made of glass or any suitable molded plastic material.

rhe' casing El is provided with a pair of offset end feet I8, I9 adapted to underlie the pane I5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The latch casing I'I has on one side a stop lug 20, and on its other side a flange 2l to limit the swinging of the latch blade 33, to be described later.

The casing I1 has a central bearing hole 22 in the upper part thereof for tightly iitting about a reduced end 24- of a horizontal sleeve member 23, said latch casing also having a rear cover plate 25 which has a bearing hole 26 fitted tightly about the reduced section 24 of the sleeve 23.

Provision is also made of a horizontal latch stud 21 having a reduced cylindrical bearing section 23 which is shaped to t within the reduced end 24 of the sleeve 23, said stud 21 also having a still further reduced squared forward end 29 for receiving the latch blade 33 which is adapted to swing in a vertical plane.

The rear end of the latch stud 21 has a narrow slot 30 which is adapted to fit tightly about a flat handle 3I which is secured in said slot by means of a pin 32. The blade 33 has a square hole 34 tting over the reduced squared end 29 of the latch stud, .said blade having a pair of parallel beveled side edges 35, 35 and a curved end edge 3l, the latter of which is adapted to engage a U-shaped leaf spring 44 secured to a strike plate 463, as hereinafter described.

The reduced end 24 of the sleeve 23 rests upon a washer 38 preferably formed of fiber, which is adapted to serve as an abutment for the latch blade 33.

Strike member The strike member, which cooperates with the latch, comprises the strike plate 4D which is preferably made rectangular in shape, and has a pair of slots 4I, 42 in its upper edge which serve to receive screw bolts 42a, 42h on which nuts 42o, 42d are screwed forV detachably clamping the strike member to the upper rail I2 of the Windshield framel Ill in such a manner as to permit vertical adjustment of said strike` pla-te 49 with respect to said frame Iii.

The strike piate 4D is provided with a short upper rearwardly extending central narrow iian e 43 to which is secured as by rivets 46, 4l, the vibration-preventing U-shaped leaf spring i4, previously mentioned. The spring 44 has a flat short upper end 45, and an elongated arched '-1oWer'end48 shaped to fit the curved end edge .wedge cam 56, leaving a slot i between said wedge cam 5l) and the base of said strike plate iii for receiving the latch blade 33, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

cam, said panel carrying an initially horizontal pivoted latch blade, and means to swing said latch blade to vertical position for causing said blade to simultaneously engage the lower` leg of said spring and said wedge cam.

2. In a device for clamping the edge of a deicerpanel to a windshield frame, saidlwindshield and said panel both having transparent panes, a strike plate mounted on the edge of said frame .and having an upper compression spring and a lower. flange provided with a resilient wedge cam slot, a latch member' for cooperating with said In order to prevent the escape of hot air, pro'- vision is made of a felt strip 53 located between' the upper rail i3 of the panel and the windshield pane il,

While only one clamping means is illustrated on the drawing, it will be understood that any number of strikes and associated latches may be located on either or both of the top and bottom rails of the windshield frame and de-icer panel respectively.

The present invention is of especial importance where a de-icer panel is used which has an air inlet slot at the bottom, in which case the U-shaped leaf spring di not only serves to prevent vibration but also forces the lower edge of the panel down against the lower end of the windshield frame adjacent the air intake manifold located on the cowl of the airplane.

Operation In operation, assuming the strike plate has first been assembled on the windshield frame IU in the proper adjusted position, when it is desiredto lock the .panel to said frame, said panel will rst be pressed against the windshield pane il in proper position between the upper and lower rails of the windshield frame Iii. The handle 3| of each latch stud 2l' will then be turned from vertical to horizontal position, as shown in Figs. l `and 3, causing the latch blade 33 to move to the vertical position, as shown, into engagement with the lower arched section i8 of the U-shaped j spring lili. This will cause each spring i4 to exert a compressive force against'the panel to prevent rattling and vibration. At the same time each latch blade k33 will be pressed outwardly by means of the coiled spring '38 against the 'resilient wedge cani 5t on the strike plate iii?, this action causing the panel to be pressed tightly against the windshield for preventing vleakage of air around the edge of the felt strip .53.

'Whilethere has been disclosed inthis specif cation one form in which the invention may be embodied, it will he understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the spe-Y cic disclosure, lout may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming withinthe scope of the following claims.

I-Iaving thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

l.. In a doublaaction device for clamping the edge'of a de-icer panel to a windshield frame, a lU-shaped strike plate mounted horizontally on theedgc of said frame, said plate'having rearwardly extending upper and lower flanges, aU- shaped lea-f spring having one leg thereof secured to said upper ange, said lower ange having a horizontal slot provided with a resilient wedge strike plate comprising a casing secured to the edge of said panel, .a sleeve fitted into said casing, av central stud fitted into said sleeve, said stud having a handle at one end located behind -thepanel and having a clamping blade on its other` end, said blade being adapted to be swung to vertical position into simultaneous engagement with said compression spring and said wedge cam to prevent rattling and leakage respectively.

3. The invention dened in claim 2, in which provision is made of a coiled spring housed in said sleeve to press said blade against the edge of said wedge cam slot.

4. The invention dened in claim 2, in which said casing has means to limit the swinging of said blade in both directions. Y

5. In a double-action device for clamping the edge of a panel to a frame, a U-shaped strike plate mounted on'the edge of said frame, said plate having rearwardly-extending upper and lower anges, a U-shaped leaf spring having one leg thereof secured to said upper flange, said lower flange having a horizontal slot provided with a resilient wedge cam, said panel carrying plate mounted horizontally on the edge of said frame, said plate having rearwardly-extending upper and lower anges, a U-shaped leaf spring having one leg thereof secured to said-upper ange, said lower ange having a horizontal slot provided with aresilient wedge cam, said panel carrying an initially horizontal pivoted `latch blade, means to swing said latch blade to vertical position for causing said blade to simultaneously engage the lower leg ci said spring and said wedge cam, and means for detachably and adiustably securing said strike plate to the edge of the windshield frame.

V'7. In a double-action device for clamping the edge of a panel to a frame, a U-shaped strike plate mounted on the edge of said frame, said plate having rearwardly-extending upper and lower flanges, a U-shaped leaf spring having one leg `thereof secured to said `upper flange, said lower flange having a slotV provided with a resilf ientwedge cam, said panel carrying a pivoted latch'blade, and means to swing said latch blade to locking position for causing said blade to simultaneously engage the lower leg of said spring and said wedge cam, said strike plate being provided with aplurality of open slots in the edge of its base to receive screwrbolts having nuts threaded thereon for attachingsaid strike plate to said frame and permitgsaidstrike plate to be removed therefrom by merely loosening saidnuts without removing said bolts,ysaid strike plate being removable from said frame by mov# ing it inwardly from the edge of said frame.

8. In a double-action device for clamping the edge of a panel to a frame, a strike plate for mounting on lthe edge of said frame and having a compression spring located adjacent the outer edge osaid strike plate, the inner edge of said strike plate being provided with a resilient Wedge cam slot, a latch member for cooperating with said strike plate comprising a casing having a pair of opposed offset feet for engagement With said panel, a sleeve tted into said casing, and a central stud tted into said sleeve, said stud having a handle on one end projecting therefrom and spaced from said panel, said stud also having a clamping blade on its opposite end for simultaneously engaging said compression spring and Wedge cam to prevent rattling and leakage respectively.

9. In a double-action device for clamping the edge of a panel to a frame, a strike plate for mounting on the edge of said frame and having a compression spring located adjacent the outer edge of said strike plate, the inner edge of said strike plate being provided with a resilient Wedge cam slot, a latch member for cooperating with said strike plate comprising a casing for engagement With said strike plate, a sleeve fitted into said easing, and a central stud fitted into said sleeve, said stud having a handle on one end projecting therefrom and spaced from said panel, said stud also having a clamping blade on lts opposite end for simultaneously engaging said compression spring and Wedge cam to prevent rattling and leakage, respectively, said handle being located at right angles to the position of said latch blade.

-JOHN HAROLD WEBSTER. l 

